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Thread: NLG wadcutter? Slick side?

  1. #1
    Boolit Man
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    NLG wadcutter? Slick side?

    The simplest bullet ever absolutely has to be a cylinder shoved through a sizer. Even simpler than roundball because making a round all round is not nearly as easy as just drilling a hole and calling it a mold. With tumble lube wadcutters they essentially smooth out inside of a sizer anyways, so why not use a slick sided NLG wadcutter for low pressure revolver rounds? If PCd before size it seems like a nice and simple setup that could potentially even be a homemade mold. What am I missing? It seems so simple that people should be regularly doing it but I don’t see any slick sided NLG wadcutter molds or factory made bullets. The closest thing is probably a knurled or cannelure equipped wadcutter.

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master
    Mk42gunner's Avatar
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    I think you are missing the time of introduction.

    Coated projectiles are relatively new, at least if you discount the old S&W Nyclad line. Home applied PC is very new.

    Most WC were developed when you needed lube on lead bullets, and most of the older lubes weren't all that good, so you tended to need a bunch of it.

    Lee's tumble lube design isn't really that old in the grand scheme of things either.

    A slicksided projectile may be the best for PC, but it also limits you to just PC (and maybe tumble lubing), while you can do about all methods with standard lube grooves.

    Robert

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Powder coated , no lube grooves and no crimp grooves ...
    They look funny and don't know which end is up .
    Gary
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    " Let's Go Brandon !"

  4. #4
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    Daekar's Avatar
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    I would love to see these available, that idea occurred to me as well.

    I'm actually looking for a NLG 158gr RF with a nice wide meplat... Kind of like the Lee 358-158, but smooth sided. I feel like it would be a good general purpose 38/357 PC boolit.

    If I can't find one, I would consider commissioning one but I have no idea how expensive it would be. Accurate has some other designs with the right kind of profile but not in the right weight.
    I'm a big fan of data-driven decisions. You want to make me smile, show me a spreadsheet! Extra points for graphs and best-fit predictive equations.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master waco's Avatar
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  6. #6
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by WestKentucky View Post
    The simplest bullet ever absolutely has to be a cylinder shoved through a sizer. Even simpler than roundball because making a round all round is not nearly as easy as just drilling a hole and calling it a mold. With tumble lube wadcutters they essentially smooth out inside of a sizer anyways, so why not use a slick sided NLG wadcutter for low pressure revolver rounds? If PCd before size it seems like a nice and simple setup that could potentially even be a homemade mold. What am I missing? It seems so simple that people should be regularly doing it but I don’t see any slick sided NLG wadcutter molds or factory made bullets. The closest thing is probably a knurled or cannelure equipped wadcutter.
    How about something like this?
    Click image for larger version. 

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    I'm a big fan of data-driven decisions. You want to make me smile, show me a spreadsheet! Extra points for graphs and best-fit predictive equations.

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Daekar View Post
    How about something like this?
    Click image for larger version. 

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    I dont think that bullet would drop out of a mold.....

  8. #8
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by GARD72977 View Post
    I dont think that bullet would drop out of a mold.....
    Interesting... That is a minor modification of a design that Accurate already has in their library: http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_...bullet=36-148Z
    I'm a big fan of data-driven decisions. You want to make me smile, show me a spreadsheet! Extra points for graphs and best-fit predictive equations.

  9. #9
    Boolit Master bigboredad's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GARD72977 View Post
    I dont think that bullet would drop out of a mold.....
    Why?

    Sent from my SM-T377V using Tapatalk

  10. #10
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    I think the very flat nose would keep it from dropping freely. If you look at one of the flat bottomed grease grooves on say a Lyman 429421, they aren't actually square, there is a few degrees of draft on the walls to help it release from the mold.

    A very slight taper towards the center wouldn't need to increase the total length of the boolit by more than a few thousandths, and I think it would be easier to use.

    Robert

  11. #11
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    There is a huge learning curve in the finer points of casting and reloading. You get into it and think you have everything figured out. The next step is realizing how much you dont understand. This is where i am now.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by GARD72977 View Post
    There is a huge learning curve in the finer points of casting and reloading. You get into it and think you have everything figured out. The next step is realizing how much you dont understand. This is where i am now.
    True words right here! Well said.
    "There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something."
    ~Thorin Oakenshield

  13. #13
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mk42gunner View Post
    I think the very flat nose would keep it from dropping freely. If you look at one of the flat bottomed grease grooves on say a Lyman 429421, they aren't actually square, there is a few degrees of draft on the walls to help it release from the mold.

    A very slight taper towards the center wouldn't need to increase the total length of the boolit by more than a few thousandths, and I think it would be easier to use.

    Robert
    So, perhaps something as simple as a 0.010" X 45 degree chamfer applied to the top corners? Or something more substantial?

    Quote Originally Posted by Taterhead View Post
    True words right here! Well said.
    I love your signature!
    I'm a big fan of data-driven decisions. You want to make me smile, show me a spreadsheet! Extra points for graphs and best-fit predictive equations.

  14. #14
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Actually, I was thinking more like a degree or two from the edge towards the center. Technically it wouldn't be a flat nose, but in reality, I don't think it would matter to whatever you hit with it be it paper or flesh.

    A square edge is supposed to be hard to release from the mold, so a bit of draft is usually recommended (even for sand casting). Don't know for sure, I've never really designed a bullet mold; but I have done a lot of reading on the subject.

    Robert

  15. #15
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mk42gunner View Post
    Actually, I was thinking more like a degree or two from the edge towards the center. Technically it wouldn't be a flat nose, but in reality, I don't think it would matter to whatever you hit with it be it paper or flesh.

    A square edge is supposed to be hard to release from the mold, so a bit of draft is usually recommended (even for sand casting). Don't know for sure, I've never really designed a bullet mold; but I have done a lot of reading on the subject.

    Robert
    I just changed the model a little bit, and even a 2 degree draft (draught?) is barely visible. I would agree that it's probably very unlikely that anything on the receiving end would notice the difference.
    I'm a big fan of data-driven decisions. You want to make me smile, show me a spreadsheet! Extra points for graphs and best-fit predictive equations.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check